Screening Services in Canada: an evolved
model
The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority’s (CATSA) recent transition to new contracts for screening services in 89 Canadian airports was a major undertaking. Following a procurement process that spanned two years, CATSA successfully transitioned to the new contracts in a way that was seamless to the travelling public and had no negative impact on security. Only one year into the new contracts, the Crown corporation has already begun to realise many of the benefits the new contracts offer. Yves Duguay takes us through the developments to date.
reated after the tragic events of 11th September 2001, CATSA is mandated by the Government of Canada to oversee aviation screening services at Canada’s designated airports. We follow a third-party screening contractor service delivery model in which three service providers supply and manage the screening workforce. This model – through which CATSA purchases screening hours from screening contractors at a prescribed billing rate – has been reviewed by the government and deemed to be the best choice for Canada. Oversight is provided by CATSA’s regulator, Transport Canada as well as CATSA’s regional teams. CATSA translates the regulations set out by Transport Canada into Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) which become part of the terms and conditions of every airport screening services agreement (ASSA).
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Since our first screening contracts came into effect in 2003, CATSA and the aviation security environment in which we operate have significantly evolved. The needs of the organisation, as well as those of our stakeholders and partners, are constantly changing due to new business models, evolving technology and new threats to security. Many organisations have also faced fiscal austerity and are further challenged by the need to be more efficient with existing resources. In 2010, with eight years of operation under our belt, CATSA had developed a clearer understanding of what was required to streamline our business processes and ensure the most effective, efficient and consistent delivery of screening services. The same year, CATSA received longer-term operational funding from government. This enabled us to develop a longer-
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term strategy based on our outsourcing model and initiate a competitive process for new ASSAs. Operating with a third-party model for service delivery is not new for CATSA. It’s been done from its inception. But with an ever-shifting external environment in which to work as well as CATSA’s growing organisational maturity, the time was right to consider further improvements to the model and lay the groundwork for new ASSAs. CATSA began by reducing operating
regions from six to four in the autumn of 2010. Each of the new regions is closely aligned in terms of size and passenger volume, and operates within a structure that has enhanced CATSA’s ability to streamline operations and expenditures. Once in place, the new regional model set the stage for reducing the number of ASSAs from 17 to four and for developing an improved contracting model.
December 2012 Aviationsecurityinternational
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